


Christmas Won't Be the Same Without You

by samanthaswishes



Series: 12 Days of SHIELDmas 2020 [7]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Light Angst, Other, Season/Series 04, Separations, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 09:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28349211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samanthaswishes/pseuds/samanthaswishes
Summary: The team's Christmas when everyone is separated before Season 4.
Relationships: Leo Fitz & Melinda May, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Melinda May & Jemma Simmons, Phil Coulson & Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie
Series: 12 Days of SHIELDmas 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057016
Kudos: 15





	Christmas Won't Be the Same Without You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so bad at scheduling this series😅 My plans were to have a fic every day leading up to Christmas, but life had other plans. I forgot how busy Christmas week is for me and my family. I later planned to crank out 3 fics on Christmas Eve then crank out the last 3 on Christmas day. Clearly, that's not what happened. However, I do plan on finishing this series. I'm in a writing mood right now, so let's see how many of these I can crank out in one day. My record is 3.
> 
> Regardless, I hope you all still enjoy this series!

Things around the Playground have been pretty somber since the Hive incident that happened back in July. SHIELD now had a new director that the team didn't quite 100% trust. On top of that, they were all separated.

Fitz and Simmons were still in the lab, but they had totally different ranks of position. May was an instructor to new recruits and was currently in charge of forming a new strike team. So far, the only candidate that she was approved for the team was Piper, who had helped them out during Hive. Coulson and Mack were on a field team that left base for several weeks at a time. One of their missions was to bring Daisy, who had run away and is now a vigilante named Quake, home.

It would be an understatement to say that this type of Christmas was not one they all had planned for at all.

* * *

May walked towards the lab, a tray of hot chocolates in hand. She spotted Fitzsimmons, discussing new materials the field team had sent in samples of. "Found out, anything?" May asked.

Jemma shook her head. "Whatever this stuff is, it's not in any of the SHIELD databases. This is all brand new."

May noticed Fitz tiredly rubbing his eyes. "Got any rest lately?" she questioned, showing true concern for the young scientist.

Fitz shook his head in response. "The director's got us working around the clock. Seems to not care at all that it's Christmas," Fitz huffed. "At least Coulson minimized the number of missions we had during the holiday season."

Suddenly, Jemma's phone answered and sighed when she hung up. "Speaking of the director," she began, "I apparently have a meeting with him this instance." She turned to Fitz. "I wish I could stay and help more, but duty calls."

"No, that's fine. What time do you think you'll be back?"

"Before bed, if that's what you're wondering," Jemma answered.

Jemma and Fitz shared a kiss before parting ways. Seeing the two of them finally get together and love each other made May's heart warm up a little bit. Without the two notice, she gave them both a warm smile. Before Jemma was fully gone, she handed her a cup of hot cocoa. Jemma gave her a smile before heading off.

"So, things are pretty good between you and Jemma?" May asked. "I noticed you two are sleeping in the same room together now."

Fitz began blushing red and stuttering. "H- How... How did you..."

May gave him a face that said _really_. "I'm offended, Fitz," she teased. "After all this time, I'd think you knew me by now, and how nothing really gets by me."

"Wow," he started. "It must be some Christmas miracle if Melinda May is cracking jokes and teasing." May couldn't help but smile at the young Scot. "However, I can think of a few miracles I would like to happen."

May nodded in agreement. For Coulson and Mack to be home. For Bobbi and Hunter to not have been disavowed. For Lincoln to still be alive. For Daisy to come back home and be safe from all the danger she's putting herself in. For the team to be back together and full once again. 

"You want to stay here for a bit?" Fitz asked, breaking May from her thoughts. "I could use the company. Not too familiar with all the new agents and scientists yet."

May sighed. "As much as I would like to, I can't tonight. Cause speaking of new agents, I have to file through a whole bunch of applications and files just to make sure the new strike team is more than just me and Piper."

Fitz smiled, knowing May was working hard on this new team. "Well, then, good night, and Merry Christmas."

May placed another cup of hot cocoa on the lab counter, which Fitz happily accepted. "Thanks. And Merry Christmas to you Fitz. I hope you and Jemma enjoy the rest of your night together.

With that, May left the lab to go file through names upon names of agents. It was definitely gonna be a long night.

* * *

Zephyr 1 soared through the skies. The field team was out on another mission, which had lasted at least a couple of weeks at this point. After this mission, they probably had about two or three days at base before they had to head out for another six-week mission.

Coulson and Mack sat in the cargo hold, playing one of their millions of board games they had played over the course of these missions. The two of them were glad they had at least one other person from the old team with them. That familiarity really did help when things got rough. Especially when looking for Daisy, who was very important to both Mack and Phil.

"It's hard to think where we are now to where we were last year," Mack said. "Last year, we were a team of nine and were all together on Christmas. This year, we're all separated and down people."

Coulson nodded in agreement. "I don't think any of us could have predicted everything would end the way it did. It's not like we're able to tell that there would be an assassination attempt on the Russian prime minister," Coulson added. "However, it was my anger and pride that caused me to kill Ward on Maveth which lead to Hive's escape to Earth which lead to Daisy being brainwashed-"

"Sir, stop," Mack interrupted. "None of that was your fault. Sure you acted on impulse, but you did take out a prime enemy. Also, Hive brainwashing Daisy was something none of us could have known was going to happen."

"But if Daisy wasn't brainwashed, she would have never felt guilty for all the bad things she did under his influence, she wouldn't feel like she was the one who got Lincoln killed, and maybe she would still be here with us. Maybe she wouldn't have felt the need to run away from us! I should've seen the signs!"

Mack sighed as he took in how hurt Coulson was feeling. He had to admit, that he was hurt too. He felt the same way Phil was. He should have seen the withdrawal signs Daisy was exhibiting. He was her partner. She felt more than that to him. Daisy was the little sister he never had. He should have been there for her like an older brother should. He should have when down to speak to her more, show her that he truly cared about her. Would that have even made a difference? Now, there was no way of knowing.

Another agent passed around beers to all the agents aboard Z1. Both Mack and Coulson popped them open at the same time.

"Merry Christmas, Mack," Coulson said, holding up his bottle.

Mack held his up as well. "Merry Christmas, Coulson."

At the clank of the bottles, the two men took a swig of their drinks before continuing their board game.

* * *

Fitz was already in his pajamas when Jemma finally returned from her meeting with the director. He lied in the bed, a book in his hand, as Jemma took a shower, got dressed, and begun winding down for the night. It wasn't long before she joined him in bed.

"Well, this was certainly a... different Christmas than we're used to," Jemma said.

"You can say that again," Fitz replied, putting down his book. He noticed that Jemma was looking a little more down than usual. "Something wrong."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I can't help myself but think What Daisy is doing today.

Fitz nodded in agreement. He, too, had wondered what Daisy was doing today. Both he and Simmons wanted what was best for Daisy. They wanted her to be safe. For Christmas, they both truly wanted their best friend back.

"It's just..." Jemma was getting choked up. "You remember her first Christmas with us? How she reacted when she realized we were willing to do so much for her. All those previous Christmases spent alone, and now, she's alone again."

Fitz hugged her tighter. "The best thing we can do is hope and pray that she is alright and that she is safe. She may not want to be found by SHIELD at the moment, but one day, I just know that she will return to us. We just have to stay positive. It's what she did when I had my brain injury and when you were swallowed by the monolith. She always knew we would get back to ourselves."

Jemma nodded and turned to face him. "I love you, Leopold James Fitz."

"I love you too, Jemma Anne Simmons."

The two shared a kiss before turning in for the rest of the night.

* * *

Somewhere in L.A., a van was parked up on a hilltop, overlooking the busy city. Lights still shown as thousands of people continued their Christmas festivities.

Daisy sat in the driver's seat. She popped a couple of pain killers, wanting to stop the pounding in her head and the throbbing of her arms from recently fighting a group of Watchdogs. She sighed, knowing where she would be right now if things had ended differently than they did five - almost six - months ago.

She looked through the journal she had been keeping, mostly to keep track of locations of inhumans and Watchdogs hunting them. She suddenly flipped to a page where she kept a photo of Lincoln. She couldn't help but still be in love with him. Why did she have to go and ruin things the way she did?

She quickly flipped the page, not wanting to get caught up in the past. They were better off without her, obviously. It wasn't until she turned to a page where she had another photo stored. That photo was from last year's Christmas with her, May, Coulson, Fitzsimmons, Bobbi, Hunter, Mack, Joey, and Lincoln. They were all seated in the common area and wearing their ugly sweaters. 

It was that photo that made the tears in her eyes begin to fall. She wiped the tears away, but couldn't stop the rest from flowing over. She truly did miss them, and there have been times where had almost been killed and wanted to call them for help. but just couldn't bring herself to do so. She couldn't be a burden in their lives.

Daisy climbed to the back of the van, where she had blankets and pillows set up. She tried to get comfy under the blankets, but couldn't. Even though it was California, she still found it rather cold during the December nights. Her previous thoughts still flooded her mind.

She spent most of her life spending Christmas alone. How would this be any different?

Turns out, Christmas just wasn't the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrated! If you don't celebrate, I still hope you had an amazing day yesterday!


End file.
